More Rust Removal Secrets 

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Muriatic acid called hydrochloric acid will attack the base metal if left long enough. It is recommended to wear solid rubber gloves and eye protection. Diluting the acid may involve using gas resperator as it fumes chlorine gas .I'm an Industrial chemist.

Just a pro tip... I use those pad you put on the floor for aminal mistakes, they are cotton backed with plastic... you soak the pad and it forms to the shape of the metal you are working on, the plastic keeps it wet....works great, almost like it was made for it

I had a jug of muriatic acid that I had just opened to do a project with inside of my garage. It was a beautiful 1930 Model A two door sedan with great paint and really no body work necessary. I got called away for an emergency that took me out of town for a couple of days. I had pushed the jug beneath a bench to keep it away from any child or such knocking it over, but I totally forgot to check the cap to the jug. When I returned home a few days later, the smell inside the garage was awful and virtually anything not painted on that car was rusted completely. Things on the dash, the underbelly and anywhere at all you could imagine. Boy, did I ever cry when that happened. It was one expensive mistake, so if you use muriatic acid, be sure to seal it tightly as it will get into the atmosphere as you said, and you will not believe the damage it can do to everything on the car, but inside the garage where anything of metal will be attacked, as well. Our water heater was out in the garage, and it too took a hit on metal parts due to my ignorance at that time. Be overly cautious in using it is just not enough of a warning once you flub up as I did with the stuff. ;-(

So fantastic and humbling to see people still taking trades work so seriously and learning and proving their skills. We need more of this in the world .

Muriatic Acid comes in different strengths. I like the 31.45% HASA from the local Pool Supplier. Must to do out doors and stay up-wind. A simple cheap paint brush is all you need. No need for abrasives or rubbing at all. Just brush it on, keep it wet and in 5 mins the rust will disappear before your eyes. Brand new metal to be had. Speaking of eyes, goggles a must! Couldn't imagine getting that in the eye. You MUST neutralize the acid. Prep a sprayer with Baking Soda and water and spray the acid. Muriatic acid reacts with baking soda to form table salt (NaCl), carbon dioxide gas (CO2), and water (H2O). It appears as a foam. After neutralizing hose it all off and dry quickly to prevent flash rusting, It's fast and easy. I just did an entire front-clip. Great results.

Muriatic acid is really dangerous to the skin, lungs, and any exposed metal, but it's also really fast and really cheap.The baking soda immediately after muriatic acid exposure is a must, because flash rust will happen very quickly, otherwise.

Phosphoric acid is my go to. I use 80 or 90% i cant remember but i prefer it because it leaves a protective film on the steel.

Glad you mentioned the baking soda. It makes a.big difference followed by quick drying. Good video thank you

I think you've triggered a flashback... I agreed to paint a friends '67 E-Type. He was so very proud of having already stripped it with paint remover (destroying all of the rubber in the process) and putting it under a cover, outside, a couple of years prior. Many gallons of muriatic later, with lots of elbow grease, we had a finish that took best in show in Phoenix.

Happy to have found you. Just looking to remove bits of rust from a metal railing around my porch so I can paint it. Now I know more about products and application. I'm fascinated with your work. Thank you.

I like that phospheric leaves a coating so you don't get instant flash rusting, but muriatic is often way quicker but you just need to remember to neutralize it and wash it off and oil the part.

To neutralize acid, you've got to use a base. Baking soda is a base, but Amonium Hydroxide is much better (fancy name for Ammonia and water). Rinse, dry, and coat with a water displacer (WD-40 or equivalent). Also, muriatic is cheaper if you skip the paint department, and go to the swimming pool care section of the hardware store. Muriatic also cleans concrete, but be careful.

I bought a case of Naval Jelly on your recommendation and it amazes me. I’ll be working on paint stripping one area and have Naval Jelly working on the rust in another and after the second application I look over and the rust is gone.

Thanks for the tips , I've used Ospho for years but you changed the way I will do things , thanks so much I restore old VWs and loved the piece about that young man's little vw project, I would sure love to have that

Wowser, that is the sound of my mind exploding. Rust 911 is the sheet alright. Nicely done, I am thrilled that I found your channel. I look forward to watching many more episodes in my spare time. Great work. TY so much for creating and sharing your knowledge and experience.

I was thinking about doing the Rust 911 process for the undercarriage but using an inflatable pool instead. Drive the car on top, inflate the pool and now its all self contained.

You are absolutely correct about media blasters and the damage they can do. You are spot on with the "cover the area with plastic for extending the acting properties of the chemicals for stripping, as you are with safety (running water, gloves, etc.). Perhaps you are my lost younger brother...we think alike in many ways, although I am retired. It is fun and rewarding to watch your videos and your sincere intent on passing artist-craftsman values to others.

50/50 molasses and water soak works great too. You lose no metal. Love your video! Thanks for all you teach!

That sprinkler method is really slick. I like it

Great video as always. I plan to attend one of your classes as I'm restoring a 84 Caprice Coupe. With a wife and kids it's hard to find the time! Keep the great videos coming! Raynham, Ma.

Ray, much thanks for sharing your expert knowledge. I must add that VINEGAR works miraculously well on CAST IRON. I have an ancient cast iron waffle iron from the 1600’s - 1700’s and upon applying VINEGAR to its heavily rusted exterior, the VINEGAR had a major reaction with the RUST. It left a heavy crust like precipitation that actually served as an armored shield to prevent any further rusting. I was amazed to discover that after 8 years the crusty precipitate comes and bare clean cast iron is underneath it.😃

Great stuff! As a silversmith I call muriatic acid (hydrochloric) a cold pickle for copper alloys and it removes steel mill scale from hot rolled.

You don't have to neutralize phosphoric acid. It only reacts with the rust, not the bare metal. Coating with a diluted mixture is even a preservation method. Look up Ospho, original/namebrand with a bit more extensive how-to.

Oh don't go on about your beautiful, perfect weather up there in beautiful Massachusetts! I'm down here in steamy Hotlanta, changing into my air-conditioned scuba gear so I can walk/swim out to check the mailbox. 😂 It's so hot and humid here, everything wants to either rot or rust away. Last night I dropped a pencil on the back porch. I figured I'd retrieve it in the morning once it's light outside. But this morning all I could find is a handful of compost with a pencil lead sticking out of it. We don't need doors on cars and buildings here, just need 'ports' to pour ourselves into. Have a great day up there Buddy! Keep up the great work. Love your tips and tricks, and Jason's vw (notice the lower case 😆) Thank you for posting your content. Seeing these projects is inspiring, and often has me questioning my impulse to make carbon composite parts (a well formed sheet of aluminum is so much lighter).

Thanks for showing the comparison of how the different products work.

I love the fact that your teaching the next generation i guess you can say thats one of the reasons im teaching myself about cars because ablot of general contractors dont teach a lot of the time because they feel someone will steal their job and when someone is willing it slows down the job a lil bit but then bosses snap

Hi Wray, John from Oz here. Molasses dips work great too. They just take a fortnight or so. Very environmental in that you can tip the tank on the lawn when finished with it!

I used Rust 911 to derust the water jackets on a couple Ford Flathead blocks. Capped off the water pump and set the deck up level one bank at a time. Let it soak about 48 hours and flushed it out. Did an amazing job! Got the idea from your videos.

Thanks for showing us the Caddy Wray that is going to be a nice ride for sure

I just discovered you, thanks for being here and making this! I miss Click and Clack and your voice reminds me of them. Thanks for bringing back those memories, you have a new subscriber.

Muriatic Acid is also used to clean mortar from; brick, block, rock, tile, etc. One can neutralize the affects of the acid by using, a Baking Soda mix in water, or even just sprinkle the baking soda over the area or acid.

Great job Thank you for sharing your knowledge what a talent. This is becoming a lost art. Keep up the great content.

man am i glad i clicked on this video, i've only got 1/2 gal of prep and etch left only the label had come off the bottle a long time ago and i couldn't remember the name of the stuff, now i just hope i can still get it here in the people's republic of california ..... thanks

Acid Magic by Certol, is a very safe full strength Muriatic Buffered Acid. Won't harm skin, but just as effective as the regular stuff!

Thanks for another great video Wray. The work you do is just amazing.Simon.

Jason's killing it on the beetle. Talented guy 👍

There's another method of rust removal that I didn't see mentioned here. Electrolysis. It leaves metal looking much the same way the Rust911 does. Zero chemicals involved.

I restore old rusty tools using 'cleaning vinegar'. I just leave them covered in a plastic container for a few days and then wash off the crusted rust that floats to the surface and then wash off this black film that forms on the tools with soapy water, and then either paint them or oil them. Works well and is really cheap. I'm not sure how well it would work on cars unless you had a vat or something.

I just stripped 4 layers of paint on my 69 Elco , with CITRA STRIP...check it out. Safe and does not burn or smell. Also...when down to bare metal...I used EASTWOOD FAST ETCH. Now this you need ventilation. The car stayed bare metal for 4 months, before going to paint. It stayed rust free...no rust flashing. You do however, need to follow wiping off Fast Etch, before primer. CHECK BOTH OF THESE OUT. GREAT PRODUCTS....

Glad Mark is back. Thanks Wray!

I knew Wray Schelin from United Chevrolet 1979 - He'd compliment a woman by saying she looked "devastating". His yard full of misc treasure. (I remember blue wooden racks from a rack body truck) He'd say ''I'll give you a dollar - to make it legal". Good guy - Nice memories !

If you use muriatic the warmer it is the better it works. I made pizza steel using HDX from home depot and a plastic tote. It will remove mill scale from plate steel quick. If you circulate the fluid it takes less time.

Molasses added in a big tub ( pool) with water add parts and cover it up and put it in a heated area like in the sun so it stays warm and works faster. Few weeks later you can hose off the rust off the parts you pull then re-use it again add more molasses if needed. Will look like rust juice when done (don't drink). After cleaning oil parts to keep it rust free.

good job. to be definitively efficient against rust, you should put grease everywhere. grease is the only thing very efficient against rust. put grease between metal and carpet, inside door, behind metallic bumper, under the vehicle, behind the repairs you can make (everywhere inside the body - hidden erea - instead of using paint), hollow areas (necessarily hidden, so no need to be aesthetic). For rear wings unreachable with a paintbrush, use an extender and poor old oil everywhere each year. rust always comes from the inside and welds. Handyman Experience - 35 years. From france

I found that the Loctite Extend in the liquid industrial bottle works great

Vinegar much cheaper and water and baking soda to naturalized the acid in the vinegar some reduce the vinegar but I like it full strength.

The phosphoric acid is the best since it won't eat in to the metal, and muriatic is hydrochloric acid (HCL) and chlorine is corrosive. Better option is to brush on phosphoric acid, cover with plastic, and wipe after about 15 minutes. The other advantage of phosphoric acid, is that creates a rust resistant barrier that protects the metal and also preps the metal for paint. Phosphoric acid is a wonder compound in my opinion. I use it all the time, even as a degreaser on metal and for paint prep on non rusted metal surfaces.

I think it's interesting how acids are categorized as corrosives yet they remove the corrosion. However I've seen muriatic acid remove rust and if left for too long will simply dissolve the steel away. Of course there is also soda blasting.

It's nice to see a comparison of rust removers.

What an amazing video - congratulations to you and your shop of perseverance - a dedication to rust and form.

Maybe if you layered the paper towels instead of scrunching them up. You would get a better finish with the phosphoric acid.

Just a tip to anybody that uses the muriatic acid. Wear protection. If you add water to the muriatic it can react aggressively. I use it to clean out rust plugged drain pipes. I do add hot water to get it going faster, but it will fume up with cold water also. I use it to clean rust off of concrete also.

I use muriatic acid all the time to remove rust, it works very well and very fast. I've tried naval jelly before and it's weak sauce, it didn't work... muriatic acid really punches through the rust that stuff works hasn't let me down. You can get two gallons of Muriatic acid at home Depot (get the 30%) stuff. The fumes are very strong so use a respirator, gloves, goggles. The stuff isn't that bad on the skin, you can get some of it on your skin and you'll be ok, just rinse it off. Another issue with muriatic acid is that it gets absorbed into one's clothes so you walk around smelling like the acid.

Nice. I wasn't aware of muriatic acid for rust removal but I've played with lots of other methods. I see you're also having trouble with those ZEP sprayers. They just don't last long, even with water.

I just coming to the end of derusting a gas tank from a GMC class c r.v. and I'll tell u these things that was learned with electrolysis rust removal 1) dial up power, if I could Dil up the amps from the battery charger it would have gone faster. 2) baking soda - refresh after every 24 hrs, and yup that's after cleaning electrode 6 times in 24 hrs, 3) size of sacrifice steel - because it's an internal job through sending unit hole I should have made a T bar set up to easily reach the side of tank, 4) using tranny fluid to seal the rust inside the tank just dump about 4 liters or a gallon of tranny fluid in roll it around cover everything, works amazing keeping new rust at bay, and just before installing tank draining the excess oil out careful watch for extra chunks lol they will appear outta no where l 5) cost yes saved me hundreds for a new tank which I don't have lol but time line well learning hard way lol, So just remember thickness of sacrifice steel and type of steel, refreshing and flushing of part, power i.e. amps not volts ! Lol, and cleaning of rods.

I am so fascinated by this. It's transformational.

I've been working on my 66 Barracuda, thank you I' learned some stuff here :) Been dreading the idea of getting the rust out of the inside of the car, that would be perfect. I was starting to feel overwhelmed by the project, I think the Rust911 will help a lot. I didn't want to just leave it but also baller on a budget :D

You need to use bicarbonate of soda when done to neutralise acid

Mix Molasses exactly 1 part and 9 parts water... Put in huge bathtub..lay down your rusty parts. Pressure wash it after 2 weeks.. Repeat the process in the same bath . Now its like brand new

I have Muriatic acid. That’s great to know that it works great for rust. I just need to make sure to stray my item down with a baking soda solution and then wash it all alway maybe with soap and water…? It would’ve been great for you to spend some more time on that part. But I’ll look into it further thanks!

Dry Ice blasting also can work wonders if you have a shop near you that can do it.

There are also auto dippers which can dip frames and full bodies. I've used them several times and is a great way to do a full restoration. Great video.

The works toilet bowl cleaner, and clr work great for light rust.

Wow muriatic acid truly works it's cheap and easy to apply.

Great mention regarding any damage to project material! A bit difficult to observe without a ballsy camera operator!

Stumbled on your channel, I have been looking for this type of rust removal, what's the ratio on the baking soda and water? How do you neutralize the acid, thanks, great video.

that Rust 911 is some nice stuff! I'll have to try it on my '71 Plymouth Fury I'm restoring

Thank uou sir, looking forward on my 37 Dodge Coupe floor, foot rest panel etc.

Get the steel (realy) wet and use a sheet of aluminum foil lay it on and keep a film of water, look for the water runoff to turn black. If needed rub the foil sort of like sandpaper

Bonjour, je regarde souvent vos vidéos et je trouve que vous faite du très beaux travail. Je vous remercie de partager vos connaissances avec nous.

Have you ever tried citric acid? Granules mixed with water...soak submerged. Works great.

I have tried the rust 911 and it is great. I got the rust off of a set of VW bus rims and small parts before I ran out. Going to get more to do other parts and another set of rims. Question: what prep work is needed to paint after Rust 911 use?

phosphoric acid great we use it after we grind the rust to shiny metal to neutralize any rust you can't see wipe it with water great results

Hi Wray. I couldn’t find any phosphoric acid rust removers locally. I have a few motorcycle gas tanks to de rust the inside of. I ended up using several bottles of cheap toilet bowl cleaner, worked great. If anyone doesn’t know about Wray’s metal shaping classes you should sign up, he’s probably going to retire in his early hundreds.

Wonderful initiative to train the next generation, all the best.

I'd so love to come to your shop classes

Excellent demonstration! I remember ruining parts I left in Navel Jelly. So it gets rinsed off soon. Do you actually have to wait that long between applications of 9-11?

Came for the rust removal advice, stayed for this gentleman’s cool accent.

I can't even tell you how grateful I am this is such an amazing video thank you so very much you are an amazing individual with awesome Talent God bless you you are a godsend

I'm close.to you, here in Hampton , NH ,I've done a woodcarving of Benoit Musy driving a Maserati 300S , fantastic curves to carve!

Gee wray the rust removal on the Caddy did an amazing job compared to when you started, that process works a treat great work mate.

What would put on it to stop the rust from coming back, without painting it right away? Thanks for the great information 👍

You still need to try the molasses dipping Wray. I had great results with it on my 32 ford, and parts I got off of a 40 ford I founds in the hills. Then after you wash off the molasses I seal it with the metal concrete prep that you use.

Great Video. So I am a little confused. If I apply Ospho on metal and let it dry, will that causes metal to rush or prevent it from rusting for a while? I have heard once you take the paint off and get to the bare metal, you can apply Ospho and it will prevent if from rusting for a while. Also, does the fume from Ospho causes everything to tart rusting in the garage or that is not the nature of Phosphoric acid?

Great video! I am thankful for artists keeping the techniques alive! Thank you for teaching the next generation!

I used molasses to do panels for my 69 camaro, 5 gallons in a 55-gallon drum, and 45 gallons of water worked fantasti, and it was biodegradablee

I learned a lot. Thank you!

I’ve use Ospho in the glass gal jug, now plastic for over 50 years on oilfield equipment, holds the paint on.

First Thanks for sharing your knowledge. When rinsing your panels try using hot water or steam genie. Typically the flash rust can be avoided.

Maybe try scuffing the panel, then applying the rust killer. Spray some rattle bomb primer to keep the bare metal rustless.

Hey Wray, I use Muriatic to remove mill scale on hot rolled sheet. However, even with the lid on the jugs fumes can come out and I noticed the corner of one of my work tables was rusting where the jug was stored under it.

Vinegar is slower it does a good job just take a little longer and avoid baking soda cleaning to neutralize the acid in the vinegar.

Recommendation for a product to apply under the car like chassis and other solid structural elements that seem to be rusted on the surface. Recently got the dream car that was neglected in many Canadian winters by the previous owner but i think i can save it. So any product that would stick to the car, dissolve the rust and not melt me away in the same process?

Phosphoric is da bom. Ospho is best. Or buy concentrated nitric and cut it 50/50 with distilled water in a clean /empty 2l plastic soda bottle...slop on slightly rusty surface surface n let react with the iron oxide(rust). A couple wetting will convert the rust to a nitric oxide that will not continue to rust. Had a neighbor that built commercial salmon fishing boats show me this trick. I treated several welds on my quonset hut using this method In 1975 and never painted them and still NO sign of rust....

Excellent video thanks Wray.

Make it custom put me onto you Wray , love the channel , I feel some binge watching catch up coming ,cheers

Once the rust is off is there anything else that needs to be done before primer is sprayed on?

tsp seems to work as a neutralizer, maybe it's basically the same as baking soda?

Very good video. I learned a lot . Thank You, Ronnie.